MANILA – The Berlin Wall of Sound, created by Soundcloud via Grey Germany ticked a lot of boxes. It was emotional, showcased technology, novel and won a coveted Cannes Lions radio Grand Prix this year.
But is it actually a radio ad in the first place? Not exactly, says Tony Hertz, a 40-year radio veteran who has been on the Cannes Lions radio jury twice.
Audio-streaming entries are now allowed to compete in the Cannes Lions, which is all good since it reflects how radio is evolving to different platforms. But Hertz argues that the campaign “doesn’t really work as a sound-only piece.”
The Berlin Wall of Sound is an audio reconstruction of the infamous landmark to commemorate the 25th anniversary of its fall. It lasts 7:32 minutes, reflecting the amount of time that sound would need to travel the 155 kilometer length of the Berlin Wall.
What makes the campaign unique and had Hertz also thinking is its sound wave pattern that mirrors the actual shape of the wall. Driving home the message further are the pictures of victims used as tags marking where they fell.
“The cleverness of the Soundcloud concept is that it’s screen-based…Without the victims’ portraits and comments shown underneath I don’t believe the audio like as effective or moving.”
“Watch the Film and Film Craft Prix winners. They work, even muted, because they are visually stunning, funny, powerful. Surely the Radio/Audio Grand Prix winner should be able to stand on its own audio feet,” he adds.
Above all, since the the campaign was entered in one the world’s biggest award shows on advertising and promotion, Hertz asked the biggest question of all: “Can someone please tell me how Wall of Sound promotes Soundcloud?”
Hertz, the world’s only winner of both Yellow and Black D&AD Radio Pencils, shared with adobo his thoughts on K9FM, a radio campaign from Pedrigee done by Colenso BBDO. That won a Cannes Radio Silver Lion back in 2014, where he was Jury President, but secured a highly-prized Black Pencil at the 2015 D&AD, the first in 32 years for the category.
“Advertising evolves, as do award juries. The Cannes Jury thought K9FM deserved Silver. A year later, D&AD gave it the first Black Pencil for 32 years. Is it possible that both were right?”
He thought ‘yes’ when he wrote the piece back in April. But for the outcome at this year’s Cannes, he quipped: “Not this time. Sorry, but I think this year Cannes got it wrong.”
Here’s a snapshot of the Hertz’s thoughts on the Berlin Wall of Sound.
My take on the Cannes Lions Radio Grand Prix.
Posted by Hertz Radio on Thursday, July 2, 2015
For a Lion’s sake?
Hertz’s think piece got some attention on Facebook, with Stephan Moritz from Berlin replying to his comment by pointing out that it wasn’t a promotional campaign to begin with.
“Soundcloud is founded in Berlin AND there office is ON the former death strip…Maybe you’re just to far away to understand what in Germany happened the day The Wall of Sound came out and was spread through more then 400 podcast during that day,” Moritz said.
In response, Hertz said that he admires and respect the intent of the work. But if it wasn’t intended to promote Soundcloud, why was it entered in multiple categories in the world’s biggest advertising festival – alluding to the worn-out phrase “Art for art’s sake.”
“Much has been written recently by advertising luminaries of greater stature than mine, about the huge emphasis that agencies, their networks and their holding companies place on winning awards. So I can’t help but ask the rather cynical question: If Cannes Lions didn’t exist, would “Berlin Wall of Sound”?”
